How do you get names for COB?

[Forgetmenotivy]

When the panhel on your campus doesn't have any new names on the COB list how do you generate prospective names for COB? We are looking for ideas from thinking outside the box. Unusual ways of getting names.

[kddani]

Why do you need names? Why do you rely on names from Panhel?

The best COB candidates are people that your members already know- have classes with, work with, live with, etc.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by kddani


The best COB candidates are people that your members already know- have classes with, work with, live with, etc. .

YES. This is so true. MORE THAN HALF the new members we got this semester through COB are friends of our new initiates from work and classes. I can only think one girl we got who was a name passed on through Panhellenic.

When you take classes of new girls, and they have good experiences, they are more inclined to tell their friends from class, work, etc about the things you guys do, which in turn generates interest. Then once you have a COB, all the member has to say is, "My sorority is having an event, wanna come?" They go to the event because their interest has already been piqued by what their friend has told them about the chapter.

It's just all about remembering that YOU AND YOUR SISTERS are the biggest source of PR for the chapter.

[adpiucf]

Tacking onto the above--

At your next chapter meeting pass around a sheet so that members can write the names of all of their unaffiliated friends, roommates and classmates (plus contact info). This will get you started!

Get members involved in non-sorority clubs and activities. They can wear letters to meetings and meet unaffiliated women to invite to the house for dinner or an event. This is also a great outlet for the members to have something other than the sorority to help them meet people and become more well-rounded.

Keep bugging Greek Council for a list of unmatched women from the past 2 years. These are girls who indicated interest, dropped out of recruitment, etc. College students tend to move a bit, but you may locate some of the more recent ones.

Also, if you are able, do a dorm storm/stuff mailboxes at local residence halls and off-campus apartments for an open house meeting.

You can also double up a chapter education workshop on a non-sorority topic with an excuse to hold an event for the women living in the Residence Halls. IE: Self Defense Workshop, Study Tips, etc. Have a sign-in, members wear letters, capture data. Boom-- it's like a recruitment event and chapter workshop in one.

Have a table in the student union or on your main promenade promoting your sorority open house. Pass out candy and capture names/contact info, promote your chapter.

HTH.

[James]

What is HTH?

Originally posted by adpiucf

HTH.

[AlphaFrog]

Our Student Life office would make us mailing labels with all of the girls who were Fresh, Soph, Jr with above a 2.5 GPA that weren't already greek, and we could stick them on flyers and mail them. I don't know how they did it, I guess a database search.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally posted by James
What is HTH?

I'm guessing "Hope that helped"???

[adpiucf]

yep!

[AEPhiSierra]

On my campus most of the sororities started facebook and myspace groups. Invite unaffiliated girls to join a group specifically for recruitment. Post some of the open events and individually contact the girls that join the group.

[CarolinaCutie]

Originally posted by AEPhiSierra
On my campus most of the sororities started facebook and myspace groups. Invite unaffiliated girls to join a group specifically for recruitment. Post some of the open events and individually contact the girls that join the group.

Woah, really? As a potential member, I don't think I would have joined a "Wanna be a Phi Mu?" group unless I was convinced it was the only way to get a bid. It just seems like you'd be asking for trouble.

I agree with everything Jocelyn and adpiucf said. The GOOD thing about informal recruitment's structure is that you have the opportunity to select girls you already know and love, instead of having to find them during fifteen minutes of small talk. Use that to your advantage.

Something else that I've also done is to take a chapter inventory. What majors does your chapter have tons of, and what majors do you lack? COB is your chance to add math majors or interior design majors to round out your chapter. Do you have a lot of nice and sweet girls with average GPAs? You can specifically look for an academic star to invite for membership. Is your chapter always praised for your high attendance at events, but you can never seem to quite win Greek Week or fraternity sports philanthropy events? Take a look at the school's athletic teams for potential members. I'm sure you get the point. Just have a chapter development meeting where you discuss your strengths and weaknesses. Not only will pointing out your positives get you pumped, but you'll have a new sense of direction when it comes to selecting women for COB.

[bruinaphi]

Originally posted by Forgetmenotivy
When the panhel on your campus doesn't have any new names on the COB list how do you generate prospective names for COB? We are looking for ideas from thinking outside the box. Unusual ways of getting names.

Forgetmenotivy, I am sending you a PM.

[Forgetmenotivy]

Thank you for your replies; I am the chapter advisor; the chapter has done the usual things; like using their new members as resourses, looking in class and other organizations and events for pms, passing around the list at the meetings for names, etc. I was looking for the new ideas to help energize this group and get them looking beyond their depleted lists.

[kddani]

Originally posted by Forgetmenotivy
Thank you for your replies; I am the chapter advisor; the chapter has done the usual things; like using their new members as resourses, looking in class and other organizations and events for pms, passing around the list at the meetings for names, etc. I was looking for the new ideas to help energize this group and get them looking beyond their depleted lists.

Have you examined WHY you may not be getting interest from the women identified through these sources?

The success rate with women you already have ties to should be MUCH higher than with random people you know nothing about.

Examine WHY your chapter isn't getting their interest, what aren't you offering, is there something wrong with your approach, etc.

If you're a member of an NPC, your HQ should be able to help you with this, or if you have a consultant coming, they all have great ways to address these issues.

If you're under total and running out of ideas to the point where you need to rely on a list of random people, then your approach really isn't working.

And at this point in the semester, IMO, it's more important to energize your approach and how you recruit so that you can kick butt in the fall than scramble to initiate random people you know nothing about this semester.

[AEPhiSierra]

Originally posted by CarolinaCutie
Woah, really? As a potential member, I don't think I would have joined a "Wanna be a Phi Mu?" group unless I was convinced it was the only way to get a bid. It just seems like you'd be asking for trouble.

People are invited to join with the explanation that it is a way for them to be informed of upcoming recruitment events. We don't really see it as more of a committment than signing up for more information at Greek Rush or Club Fair. PNM will sign up for more than one group if they are not sure where they want to go. Since many people at our school don't know that we have greeks until a few weeks into classes and our school doesn't really help us make our presence known it is very helpful.

[adpiucf]

I could see that working for a campus that doesn't have PNM's coming in who have been pre-groomed for recruitment and Greek Life. Just another reminder that what works for one campus won't work at another. Do you have to close the group down during strict silence to avoid a recruitment infraction?